Federico García Lorca

Federico García Lorca was a celebrated Spanish poet , playwright , and theatre director, born in 1898 in Fuente Vaqueros, Granada .

Lorca was a leading figure of the Generation of '27 , blending modernist techniques with Spanish folk traditions . His most famous works include *Romancero Gitano*, *Bodas de Sangre*, and *La Casa de Bernarda Alba*.

Deeply inspired by Andalusian culture , Lorca's writing explored themes of love, death, and social injustice .

Tragically, during the Spanish Civil War , Lorca was arrested and executed in 1936, becoming a symbol of lost freedom and artistic expression and the awfullness of civil war.  .

Why Was Federico García Lorca Shot?

Federico García Lorca was executed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War . Although the exact reasons are still debated, several factors contributed to his tragic death. The Spanish civil war was a very brutal time. Lorca was arrested in the centre of Granada and taken to a place near to Viznar which is a village a few kilometres outside Granada. He an many others were shot by firing squad and buried in a mass grave. Despite a lot of money and effort using modern DNA techniques nobody has ever identified his bones nor poven exactly where he was buried. There are thousands of mass graves in Spain with the remains of people who were murdered in the Spanish civil war. Nobody knows exactly why he was killed but maybe it was for the following reasons. 

 Political Climate: Lorca was seen as a liberal intellectual and sympathized with the Republican side. (left wing) In the deeply divided Spain of that time, this made him a target. In the civil war people were divided into red and blue or right and left. Many people were shot for being communists when both murderer and victim did not even know the meaning of the word communism. Atrocities were commited by both sides. At the time of writing this in April 2025 you can see that the USA is in danger of going down the same dark road. 

Homosexuality: Being openly gay in a conservative, Catholic region increased his vulnerability .

Symbolism: Lorca had become a symbol of cultural freedom , and silencing him was seen as a way to crush artistic expression .

Lorca was arrested by Nationalist forces and executed by firing squad . His body was never officially found , and he remains a symbol of lost freedom .

Today, Federico García Lorca remains one of Spain’s greatest cultural icons , with his poetry and plays continuing to inspire readers and audiences around the world .